Lost and Found
by tacos-for-all
Summary: We don't realise what we have until we've lost it. For Sora, is it too late to get it back? One-shot, Sora/Riku. Read and Review please


**LEGAL DISCLAIMER: We do not own the rights to Kingdom Hearts**

**Setting: **This fic is set about 6 months or so after Kingdom Hearts 2.

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**Lost And Found**

Sand flew beneath their feet in a shimmering curtain, veiling both forms from view as the fighters danced across the beach in their own private battle. The opponents mirrored each other's blows, parrying and striking, moving in complete unison across the golden shoreline.

With a grunt of exertion, Sora shifted his body sideways, sweeping the Keyblade around to strike Riku's body, only to find the blue haired opponent's sword already blocking the move. Sparks flew from the crossed blades as the desperate clang of metal reverberated across the shore.

It was frustrating that neither seemed able to get the upper hand, however, the burn in his muscles was a welcome relief. The adrenalin coursing through his veins a sweet change from the ennui that seemed to be all this place was capable of making him feel. Every day was exactly the same. Another day in Hell's paradise with an over-abundance of sand, sun and surf. Of course he stilled loved it here; this was his home. But when you had flown amongst the stars, the unchanging beauty of each day became nothing but a curse.

Yes. Simply to fight was a joy but Sora also wanted to win.

A quick jab parried Riku's next blow and a swift downward strike sent up a shower of sand. Sora swung the Keyblade up and around in a roundhouse that would assuredly finish the match, although leaving him temporarily exposed. Sora could practically smell the victory.

The blade descended in a smooth arc.

Sora could only give an annoyed shout as the intended target darted forward with a rapid strike, his lithe form nothing more than a blur of movement.

Sora felt a blow to his head that dropped him to his knees. He felt his teeth rattle in his skull. Darkness blossomed across his vision and his head swam in confusion. It wasn't until he felt a strong arm around him that the world slowly started to make sense again.

"Sora? Sora?!" The familiar husky voice both excited and comforted him. A warm hand gingerly probed the speedily rising welt causing Sora to flinch, hissing.

Riku was quick to remove his hands, holding them up apologetically. The brunette managed a half-hearted smile through the throbbing pain, "I thought I had you there."

"You should know better than to underestimate me," Riku replied. Sora was convinced there was a dark undertone to his words, that he was insinuating something else.

"Now hold still, Sora. I'll be gentile, I promise." Skilled hands ghosted over the affected area.

Sora tilted his head upwards, the vertigo slowly subsiding. He looked directly into his friends face and his breath caught in his throat. Their gazes locked, cerulean blue met with icy turquoise.

Suddenly his dizziness seemed to have a different cause than a simple blow to the head.

Sora was startlingly aware of the elder boy's glistening body looming over him. His skin erupted into goose flesh at the sight of the chorded, smooth flesh within arms reach. Every single bead of perspiration was visible. This caused his eyebrows to draw together in a frown of confusion. He was slightly concerned that he should find his friend's body so distracting.

Clearly the blow had rattled his brains.

"I demand a rematch!" Sora loudly proclaimed. He made as if to stand before flopping back into the sand, "Once the world stops spinning." He groaned.

Riku chuckled softly, leaning forward with an intent, unreadable look in his eyes.

"Sora?" The reedy feminine voice rang out, touched by a hint of worry.

As Kairi approached, Riku backed away with fluid grace. He gave a tight smile to the girl, rising in one quick motion, before taking a step backwards to give the two more room.

Kairi was inspecting Sora's head, her hands gently brushing his hair aside.

"You guys need to be more careful," She admonished lightly. Full lips tilted up into a slight, resigned smile that seemed to say, _'boys will be boys.'_ "Promise me you'll be more careful... Sora?"

"Aw, c'mon Kairi. It's not like I'm really hurt. I'm just kinda... Dizzy... I'm seeing dancing Paupu Fruit." Sora gave her his trademark goofy grin, which elicited a smile from a nearby Riku.

"Just promise me."

"okay, okay, I promise."

"Good!" Satisfied, Kairi gripped a hand under his arm, "Now come and sit out of the sun."

With a dramatic roll of his eyes at the silently standing Riku, he allowed himself to be helped up, inwardly grateful that the action didn't immediately make him want to fall over again. No defeater of one thousand heartless could be taken down by a mere whack to the head; he was made of tougher stuff than that!

As they walked slowly away from the beach, Sora cast a cursory glance over his shoulder, "Come on, Riku! Don't fall behind." He poked his tongue out playfully as Riku moved to follow them, adorning the fond smile that had blossomed on the elder boy's face.

O.O

Dark water lapped at the edges of the sand, the tide ebbing in and out in its constant, steady way.

Sora stared eagerly up at the sky, searching valiantly for the stars that he could recognize. Stars that he could point to and say, _'I have a friend up there, on that world,'_ but the sky was a sheet of pure obsidian, devoid of any light be it moon or stars.

A wary tingle ran up his spine and his cautious gaze skittered across the beach, desperate to find the source of his fear. It felt like the lurking darkness. To Sora it was as if he had been suddenly plunged into the realm of the heartless. The crawling, creeping shadows waiting to pounce, to devour.

Despite that feeling, his Keyblade would not come to hand. He remained defenseless against the unknown, malevolent threat.

Sora did a slow turn, scanning the area, looking for somebody to challenge. As he turned back to the sea, he saw a lone figure hovering above the cavernous black expanse. Sora flinched back in surprise, ready to fight. As closely inspected the cloaked form, recognition dawned.

"Riku.." Sora's voice came out in a relieved sigh. His hand instinctively reached out for the other boy, seeking comfort, but it was soundly batted away.

Sora hand snapped back to his side, stung. His expression momentarily registered hurt before he covered it with a weak smile.

"Hey Riku, there's something wrong here. I think the heartless are around we should... Riku?"

"Quiet!" The voice that came from Riku was his own, but sharper, with a hint of dark amusement that Sora had heard before; a long time ago. He looked searchingly into a face obscured by darkness.

"I'm not playing your foolish games anymore... Sora, I'm bored with you."

"Cut it out, Riku."

"How long did you think I would remain in the light?"

"Stop i-"

"You offer me nothing and the darkness offers me everything. All you do is get my way. You're nothing more than an obstacle I have to overcome."

"I mean it, stop-"

"I don't need you, I never have. I despise you."

"Riku..." Sora's voice came out as a low pleading whine. As he tried reaching out once more, Riku's face lifted revealing golden eyes that had once belonged to a being they had called Ansem.

"Riku... Please.... Don't..."

"I'm leaving Sora."

"No, NO. Please... I..."

Riku took a step backwards, the inky water swirled around his feet.

"Don't leave me... Riku..."

The older boy was now knee deep, calves submerged in the black sea. Sora followed, heart clenched in a vice, his desperate pleas falling on deaf ears.

"Riku. Riku, no! Riku!"

Sora lunged forward but groped nothing as his best friend was swallowed by darkness.

In a tangle of sweaty sheets, Sora awoke with a shout. Fear from the nightmare clutched at his chest. A single name became a desperate mantra in his mind.

His thoughts were barely coherent as he clambered from the bed in search for Riku.

O.O

Sora's mind was in a frantic state of panic as he hurtled out into the street, wearing nothing but his bedclothes.

His bright blue eyes registered the velvety nothingness of the the night sky, eerily reminiscent of his dream. With no illumination from the heavens, he dashed blindly onwards. His bare feet struck the cold cobblestones, the staccato rhythm ricocheted off the houses as he sped between the intricate maze of dwellings. He ran till his lungs were on fire and his muscles rusted over.

He finally reached his destination, chest heaving, blood roaring in his ears. His heart felt like it wanted to burst out of his ribcage. He bashed wildly on the thin pine door, threatening to rend it from its hinges.

"Riku," He cried, not bothering to hide his desperation.

"Open the door! Please!" He punctuated each word with a clenched fist. The door shuddered with each blow, seemingly protesting the rough treatment.

Sora lifted his arms to deliver the door another barrage of bludgeoning when it suddenly swung inwards.

Riku's mother peered out at him with bleary eyes on the cusp of wakefulness, "Sora, honey," Her voice husky from sleep, "He's not here."

Time stopped as Sora's heart plummeted through his feet. His vision blurred, eyes brimming with tears.

"No," He wailed like a wounded animal. He backed away from the house and fled, Riku's mother's cries nothing but droning white noise.

Sora could feel the steady deluge of tears coursing down his cheeks and slipping under his chin as he ran. The feeling of loss, of profound sorrow, was unlike any he had ever experienced. This consuming, irrational grief made every other time Riku had abandoned him weak in comparison. Where the other times had left him weak, this felt as if bile was working its way through his body with agonizing slowness, poisoning him, leaving him nothing but an empty shell.

The nightmare was real.

He paid no heed to where his feet lead him. Only when he collapsed in exhaustion, his legs giving out underneath him, did he realize where he was.

Sora was kneeling in their battle arena, the stretch of beach on the island he had so often missed while amongst the stars. The silken sand cooled his feet, squeezing between his toes. A gentle ocean breeze tousled his hair.

He wept openly at the constant ebb and flow of the ocean. It was a cold unfeeling thing; his whole life was crumbling around him and the universe carried on like it didn't care. The waves rolled in, hitting the shore with a heavy lumbering crash, only to roll back out again.

_'At least the waves sounds the same'_

The familiar words were engraved in his mind, a memory from a time far passed. When for him, his world was complete as long as he had his best friend by his.

As he wrapped his arms around his body, chest still heaving from his exhaustion, he nursed the gaping wound that had been created in his heart.

Riku was gone. Gone

It was all his own fault. He hadn't been strong enough or a good enough friend for Riku to stay.

It couldn't be the end... He would find Riku. No matter where he had to go or what he had to do... he would find him.

Suddenly, the moon shone out from what had just been heavy cloud cover. Sora glanced at the water, at the moon's rippling doppelganger floating serenely on the surface. He then cast his eyes further to the tree trunk on which, so many times, they'd sat side by side. Pondering the world.

A figure was perched there, staring out to sea. Sora gasped.

"Riku!" He screamed, launching himself forward. His heart told him the figure belonged to his friend. On he scrambled. Up towards the miniature island, running heedlessly over the bridge. Riku turned, taking one hesitant step toward the chestnut-haired meteorite hurtling towards him. Sora flung himself into Riku's arms, clutching his torso like a lamprey eel.

"I'm never going to let go," He sobbed.

Strong arms wrapped around his body, pulling them even closer together than Sora's obsessive bear hug ever could. Riku's worried voice called out to him softly. "Sora? Sora, it's all right."

"I want..." Sora gasped out the words as his entire body shook. He cried out with sorrow of having almost lost Riku and the relief of being safely encased in his warm embrace. "I won't let you go. Please don't leave... Please, please..." he trailed off, muttering incoherently.

"Hey." A hand clasped at the back of Sora's neck, angling his head back so that the taller boy could see his tear-marked face. "I'm not going anywhere." He cooed, "I promise I'll never leave you. Never"

Sora's shaking slowly began to subside. Blue eyes blinked slowly, searching the worried face above him, "I... I thought..." A nightmare? He would have been embarrassed had not the relief that washed over him been so strong.

"Riku..."

Warm hands cupped the sides of Sora's face, thumbs brushing away the tears. The rough callouses on the pads scratched his skin as the wetness from his cheeks was smeared away. _He always has such warm hands_, Sora thought absently.

The moonlight cast an iridescent glow over Riku's body, making him appear ethereal, too beautiful to be human. Sora felt blood rush to his face and to another unmentionable part of his body. He shifted uncomfortably.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

Turquoise eyes shimmered in consternation. Riku pursed his thin lips. His hands slid from the slighter boy's face to his shoulders, gently massaging them through the thin fabric of his cotton pajama top.

"I..." Sora began hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I had a bad dream; that you left." Sora shook his head, as if to physically dispel the horrific memories from his mind, "It... It felt so real." Sora's hands fisted in the soft material of Riku's vest, making sure that this Riku was the tangible one. Sora leaned forward, burying his head in the crook of his neck, inhaling sharply.

"Riku," His voice was muffled, "I really thought you'd gone and left me here alone."

It was now or never, time to give voice to the feelings he had only just come to truly realize. Even Sora's great reservoir of courage didn't make this any easier.

He pulled away from Riku's shoulder to look deeply into his eyes. "I was afraid I'd never have the chance to tell you...." Sora took a deep breath to fortify himself, "I want you to know that your in my thoughts from the time I wake till the time I sleep. I want you to know that I'd be lost without you... I want you to know that if you were ever taken away from me again, that I would search every world in the universe to bring you back."

Riku was speechless. For a long while neither spoke. Sora waited nervously having bared his soul; fearful of rejection.

Riku, moved his hand to capture Sora's chin in his thumb and forefinger. "And I likewise, Sora, would not only search, but tear apart every world to get you back. You were the only thing that brought me back from the brink of darkness. Without you I am nothing."

Sora's bright smile could have outshone the sun. He gave a soft, happy sigh.

"Sora…" Rika stared down at his friend with a slight frown, gaze moving from his eyes to his lips and then back again. "What… about Kairi?"

Sora blinked in honest surprise. "What about her?"

Then tension is Riku's body was abruptly released with those simple words; a soft chuckle rising from his throat. "Nothing."

Sora watched curiously as Riku seemingly considered something very important for a long minute, eyes partly veiled by his long, blue bangs. "Then… you won't mind if I…"

Then their lips met in a soft caress.

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**Tacos-For-All:** You have just read the bizarre love-child of two zany fic writers. We started writing it late last night and were up till all hours of the morning, absorbed in our task. It was a new and interesting experience and I think we both benefited from it. I can only hope that this is the start of many stories we'll write together. Enjoy the cottony downy fluffiness.

I AM STILL WRITING WARRANDICE AND SECOND CHANCES!!

Cheers and happy reading.

**Ordained: **Whoo, gee has it been a while since I wrote anything. It feels kind of off to be doing something other than Naruto. Anywho, this little piece of utter fluff was created by myself and a taco. Good times… damn good times. Doing a collab is a whole new ball-game but I think we came out of it fairly well. Read and review my dear readers… and then go look at my other stories.

Ordained can be found at Adultfanfiction


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